Bjelland (municipality)

Bjelland Municipality
Bjelland herred
Former municipality
Vest-Agder within Norway
Vest-Agder within Norway
Bjelland within Vest-Agder
Bjelland within Vest-Agder
Coordinates: 58°22′48″N 07°31′40″E / 58.38000°N 7.52778°E / 58.38000; 7.52778
CountryNorway
CountyVest-Agder
DistrictSørlandet
Established1 Jan 1902
 • Preceded byBjelland og Grindum Municipality
Disestablished1 Jan 1964
 • Succeeded byMarnardal Municipality
Administrative centreBjelland
Area
 (upon dissolution)
 • Total
164 km2 (63 sq mi)
Population
 (1964)
 • Total
631
 • Density3.8/km2 (10.0/sq mi)
DemonymBjelldøl[1]
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeNO-1024[2]
Data from Statistics Norway

Bjelland is a former municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The 164-square-kilometre (63 sq mi) municipality from 1902 until 1964 when it was merged into Marnardal municipality. It is now located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Lindesnes. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Bjelland where Bjelland Church is located.[3]

History

The municipality of Bjelland was created on 1 January 1902 when the old municipality of Bjelland og Grindum was split into Bjelland (population: 907) and Grindheim (population: 909). During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, Bjelland municipality was dissolved. The majority of Bjelland (population: 535) was merged with the municipalities of Laudal, Øyslebø, and a small part of Finsland to create the new municipality of Marnardal. At the same time, the Ågedal and Midtbø area of Bjelland (population: 96) was transferred to the municipality of Audnedal.[4]

Name

The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the old Bjelland farm (Old Norse: Bjárland) since the first Bjelland Church was built there. The first element is the genitive case of the word bœr which means "farm" or "farmstead". The last element is land which means "land" or "district".[5]

Government

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.[6]

Municipal council

The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Bjelland was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

Bjelland herredsstyre 1960–1963 [7]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:13
Bjelland herredsstyre 1956–1959 [8]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 7
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:13
Bjelland herredsstyre 1952–1955 [9]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:12
Bjelland herredsstyre 1948–1951 [10]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:12
Bjelland herredsstyre 1945–1947 [11]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 3
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 5
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:12
Bjelland herredsstyre 1938–1941* [12]  
Party name (in Norwegian) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeiderpartiet) 2
  Farmers' Party (Bondepartiet) 6
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:12
Note: Due to the German occupation of Norway during World War II, no elections were held for new municipal councils until after the war ended in 1945.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Navn på steder og personer: Innbyggjarnamn" (in Norwegian). Språkrådet.
  2. ^ Bolstad, Erik; Thorsnæs, Geir, eds. (26 January 2023). "Kommunenummer". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget.
  3. ^ Store norske leksikon. "Bjelland" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. ^ Jukvam, Dag (1999). Historisk oversikt over endringer i kommune- og fylkesinndelingen (PDF) (in Norwegian). Statistisk sentralbyrå. ISBN 9788253746845.
  5. ^ Rygh, Oluf (1912). Norske gaardnavne: Lister og Mandals amt (in Norwegian) (9 ed.). Kristiania, Norge: W. C. Fabritius & sønners bogtrikkeri. p. 127.
  6. ^ Hansen, Tore; Vabo, Signy Irene, eds. (20 September 2022). "kommunestyre". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1959" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1960. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1955" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1957. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1951" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1952. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1947" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1948. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1945" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1947. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  12. ^ "Kommunevalgene og Ordførervalgene 1937" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Oslo: Statistisk sentralbyrå. 1938. Retrieved 19 November 2020.